Flower ||| Ateez

32

Lily could hear the bus driver calling the police as he tore out of the complex. Something was wrong. She pushed herself up to peer out the window and saw her friends fighting off attackers. Her heart stopped when she saw Wooyoung getting dragged toward the limo.

"No..." She gasped. "No! We have to go back!" She jumped up and ran to the driver.

"I can't do that; I have my orders." She said, but she could see the fear in his eyes.

"Then let me off. NOW!" When he still didn't move, she grabbed onto the lever that opened the door and threw herself through the opening, rolling several times across the ground.

The driver kept going when he saw cars leaving the complex to follow them. Lily crawled behind a parked car to hide herself and catch her breath, clutching her right side. It stung.

She shook her head to push the pain away and limped back to her home, staying low and hiding at any sign of movement.

Just as she was about to reach the front gates, the limo pulled out and sped away. She wanted to follow it, but she knew she couldn't in her condition. Instead, she made her way to the front doors and pushed them open.

It was silent. She had expected at least some of the men who Wooyoung's father had brought with him to stay behind, but they must have wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

The hairs on the back of her head rose as she limped to the studio, the kitchen, the living room. Did he take them all? Please, please let them be safe. I can't let them get hurt because of me. Her breathing quickened and she tightened her grip on her side, hoping the pain there could force down the panic attack she was starting to have.

Then she saw blood on the floor. She followed the trail; someone had been dragged through the house. It led to the basement door. She yanked it open and stumbled down the stairs, letting out a gasp when she saw everyone tied up.

Some of them had gained consciousness and were trying to break free when they saw her. They called out to her through their gags.

Lily ran to Seonghwa, who was closest to her and started untying his hands before moving to San.

"Lily... What are you doing back here?" San said, pulling her into a hug when she had freed him. "We told you to stay on the bus."

"I couldn't. Not when I saw what happened." She pushed him away and moved to Jongho. He wasn't moving. She checked him over and her voice faltered when she pulled her hand away from his head. It was covered in blood.

"J-Jongho?!" She untied him and pulled him into her lap. He let out a soft groan but didn't show any signs of waking up.

Quickly, she tore off her shirt and balled it up to put pressure on his head wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Head wounds always bled more than others; she knew that from personal experience.

"Please be ok." She leaned over him and placed her head on his chest.

By now, San had freed the rest of them. Hongjoong was the only other one still unconscious. Mingi was hugging Seonghwa close to him, checking him over too to make sure he was ok.

Yeosang ran upstairs when they heard pounding on the front door. They could hear sharp orders coming to sweep the rest of the house. Two men came downstairs to check on everyone.

When Lily saw them, she froze. She recognized them. She pulled Jongho closer to her and tried to make eye contact with Seonghwa, but no one was paying attention to her. They were still trying to make sense of what had happened.

She looked around for anything she could use to her advantage, there were boxes everywhere from when the boys had moved in, but nothing was labeled. Lily shifted and started dragging Jongho with her to the corner, staying as quiet as possible. She set him up so he was laying on her shirt, applying the pressure she could no longer give.

Still looking around, she noticed an old tool kit tucked away. She slowly opened it and pulled out a couple of wrenches.

"All clear!" Someone shouted down.

"Alright, we can handle it from here, head back to the station."

No... Lily ground her teeth together. I will not let them cover this up too.

Pushing all caution from her mind, she crept up behind the man closest to her and brought the wrench down on his head as hard as she could.

The boys gasped and looked at her like she was crazy as he fell to the ground.

The other man whirled around, and a spark of recognition entered his eyes. "Put the wrench down, Sweetheart. You just assaulted an officer; do you know how much trouble you're in?" She sensed the hidden meaning behind his words but didn't stand down.

"Lily, what are you doing?" Seonghwa said, holding his hands out to her.

"We can't trust them. They work for my father. Don't you recognize them?" She snarled.

The boys exchanged looks, then Mingi covered his mouth. "Th-The hospital."

The man growled and took a step to the side, pulling his gun out in one smooth motion and pointing it at each of them. "Ok, here's how it's going to work. You boys are going to stay down here and stay quiet, or I'll shoot you. She's going to come with me quietly, if she doesn't, I'll shoot you. You try to follow us? I'll shoot you, or her. I can shoot her in places that won't kill her." He had a crazed look in his eyes. He knew he was cornered.

Mingi snarled and took a step forward.

"Mingi! No!" Seonghwa moved to push him out of the way, but Lily was faster.

When the man went to point the gun at Mingi, she lunged at her friend to push him out of the way, throwing the wrench at the same time.

The gunshot pop burned the noise into all their ears.

The man fell, unconscious.

Everyone screamed at the same time.